System and method for mobile device fleet management

Abstract

A system and method for managing fleets of network MFPs uses a portable data device such as a networked smartphone to discover and query devices over one or more network subnets. The smartphone sends out a multicast device discovery petition to all network devices and processes responses received asynchronously in parallel. A sequence of smaller multicasts can be used so as not to overwhelm available device resources. Once all devices has responded, all responses are checked sequentially. Devices identified as multifunction peripherals are sent a second petition seeking device state information. Received device state information is stored in a management database.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a network interface;   memory;   a processor configured for data communication with a network subnet via the network interface;   the processor further configured to send a multicast petition to addresses in the network subnet via the network interface;   the processor further configured to receive asynchronous responses in parallel from devices in the network subnet responsive to the multicast petition;   the processor further configured to store received responses in the memory;   the processor further configured to sequentially determine, once all responses have been received, from each stored response whether an associated device is of interest;   the processor further configured to send a second petition for device information to each device determined to be of interest;   the processor further configured to receive device state information from each device responsive to the second petition; and   the processor further configured to update a device management database in accordance with received device state information.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the processor is further configured to send the multicast petition in multiple iterations to a number of devices for which a mobile data device comprising the processor, the memory and the network interface has resources sufficient to process the asynchronous responses in parallel. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein received multicast petition responses include the device information, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine a device to be of interest when the device information identifies it as an SNMP capable multifunction peripheral. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the second petition is comprised of SNMP query. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the device state information includes one or more of installed software, installed hardware, firmware version, consumable level, error codes and device usage levels. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the processor is further configured to sequentially, for one or more additional subnets:
 to send the multicast petition to addresses in the one or more additional subnet via the network interface; 
 receive the asynchronous responses in parallel from devices in the one or more additional subnet responsive to the multicast petition; 
 store responses received from the one or more additional subnet in the memory; 
 sequentially determine, once all one or more additional subnet responses have been received, from each stored additional subnet response whether the associated device is of interest; 
 send the second petition for the device information to each device in the one or more additional subnet determined to be of interest; 
 receive the device state information from each device in the one or more additional subnet responsive to the second petition; and 
 update the device management database in accordance with the received device state information. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the mobile data device is located in an identified subnet. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the multicast petition is sent concurrently to all addresses in an identified subnet except for an address of a mobile data device comprising the processor, the memory and the network interface. 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 communicating data with a network subnet via a network interface;   sending, via a processor, a multicast petition to addresses in the network subnet via the network interface;   receiving asynchronous responses in parallel from devices in the network subnet responsive to the multicast petition;   storing received responses in memory;   sequentially determining, once all responses have been received, from each stored response whether an associated device is of interest;   sending a second petition for device information to each device determined to be of interest;   receiving device state information from each device responsive to the second petition; and   updating a device management database in accordance with received device state information.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising sending the multicast petition in multiple iterations to a number of devices for which a mobile data device comprising the processor, the memory and the network interface has resources sufficient to process asynchronous responses in parallel. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein received multicast petition responses include the device information, and further comprising determining a device to be of interest when the device information identifies it as an SNMP capable multifunction peripheral. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the second petition is comprised of SNMP query. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein device state information includes one or more of installed software, installed hardware, firmware version, consumable level, error codes and device usage levels. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising sequentially, for one or more additional subnets:
 sending the multicast petition to addresses in the one or more additional subnet via the network interface; 
 receive the asynchronous responses in parallel from devices in the one or more additional subnet responsive to the multicast petition; 
 storing responses received from the one or more additional subnet in the memory; 
 sequentially determining, once all additional subnet responses have been received, from each stored additional subnet response whether the associated device is of interest; 
 sending the second petition for the device information to each device in the additional subnet determined to be of interest; 
 receiving the device state information from each device in the additional subnet responsive to the second petition; and 
 updating the device management database in accordance with the received device state information. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the mobile data device is located in an identified subnet. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9  wherein further comprising sending the multicast petition concurrently to all addresses in an identified subnet except for an address of a mobile data device comprising the processor, the memory and the network interface. 
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 a network interface;   a processor configured to determine a network address associated with the network interface;   the processor further configured to send a multicast petition to all remaining addresses in a subnet associated with a determined network address;   the processor further configured to receive asynchronous responses in parallel from devices in the subnet responsive to the multicast petition, wherein each response identifies an associated device type;   the processor further configured to store received responses in memory;   the processor further configured to sequentially send a second petition to each device identified as a multifunction peripheral by its device type, the second petition including a query for device state data.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein device state information includes device configuration information or device capability information. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the second petitions are comprised of SNMP queries. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the processor is further configured to send the multicast petition in multiple iterations to portions of the subnet to limit a number of parallel received asynchronous responses in accordance with available system resources.